Dairy Technologist

Create better, safer dairy equipment.

Quick Stats

Salary Range

$25,000 – $63,000

Data from U.S. Department of Labor

What do Dairy Technologists do?

A Dairy Technologist finds new ways to make old dairy processes better. Working alongside Dairy Scientists, Dairy Engineers and Farm Managers, a Dairy Technologist is the bacteria problem-solver of the group. You find problems others didn’t know existed.

As a Dairy Technologist your background in chemistry, physics, bacteriology, mathematics, and economics prepares you for time in the laboratory. You conduct experiments to find the best way to improve production and handling techniques of dairy products to prevent bacterial contamination. You may specialize in one particular area of dairy production such as milk handling and processing, or even one product like sour cream.

For example, you want to know what type of material is the best at preventing bacteria from entering the milk while in a container. Using your scientific experience, you get to work in the laboratory experimenting with different materials such as glass, plastic and wax-coated cardboard.

While each material sufficiently holds the milk, each one has different characteristics that could allow different types and amounts of bacteria into the liquid. After testing each material in a variety of conditions (hot, cold, warm, and freezing) you find your answer.

Excellent communication, organization and attention-to-detail skills are essential as a Dairy Technologist. When your experiments are done, you must let people know about your findings. During the experiment stage detailed notes and diagrams are essential to tracking your progress and for duplication efforts in the future.

Patience also is a recommended trait to work as a Dairy Technologist, as you often will run experiments repeatedly. A scientific discovery is only valid if the results can be duplicated, so put your lab coat on and get to work keeping everyone safe from milk-borne illnesses.

Should I be a Dairy Technologist?

You should have
a
bachelor's
degree or higher and share these traits:

Logical Thinker:
You take a step-by-step approach to analyze information and solve problems.